Fire and Rain
by My Whole Life Is Thunder
Summary: AU where Ziva is still alive (for now) and Jimmy is single. For years everybody believed that Jimmy Palmer had a seemingly perfect life. Until one day a case brings his personal tragedy to the fore front. As if his secret being exposed is not bad enough, another tragedy is about to strike.
1. Chapter 1

Jimmy Palmer wiped his glasses on his clean undershirt. He put them on his face, tucked his shirt and smoothed out his scrub top. Across the hall he could hear his roommate Tony DiNozzo singing, Sinatra way off key. Tony had a good voice when he actually listened to himself, but most of the time he got carried away and sang out of tune. Normally Jimmy did not mind Tony's singing but today it was grating on his nerves. For a blissful moment he thought that he had just woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Then he looked at his phone and noticed the date "October 12th 2017". October 12th, the day he had come to loath. The anniversary of the worst day of his life. Tony bounded into the living room almost ridiculously chipper. Upon seeing the pained look on Jimmy's face, Tony's mood changed. They had been friends long enough, Tony had known Jimmy's secret long enough.

"Can you handle going in today?" Tony asked.

"Nope I stayed home on this day last year. I have to be careful about spacing out or they get suspicious. Maybe next year." Jimmy explained.

The two roommates dove to work largely in silence. They had been living together for three years now. Ever since Ziva had moved back to Israel to care for her aunt. Jimmy's relationship had ended around that time and Tony ended up moving in so Jimmy could keep making rent.

"Did you talk to Ziva last night?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah she said that Tali and her may be moving back soon." Tony explained, Nettie had passed away a few months back but Ziva was having trouble parting with her childhood home.

"Have you thought about moving back there?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes but any time I start to write my resignation, Ziva will decide to move back. She has been seeing a therapist lately. I think it's real this time." Tony explained.

"Well if she does move back. You can keep the apartment. I will sign the lease over to you and you guys can live together." Jimmy offered.

"Ziva wants a house. You can stay with us if you don't find a place right away." Tony offered.

"I know a few places in my price range." Jimmy assured.

"Cool" Tony replied.

"Yeah" Jimmy sighed.

"Jimmy?" Tony asked.

"Yeah?" Jimmy replied.

"Are you sure you alright?" Tony asked.

"I am fine. I just hope that we have a slow day." Jimmy lied.

"After that last case I would not mind a slow day either." Tony admitted turning into his parking space.

Things had changed by the afternoon. A call came through. A Marine had been murdered out in a Suburb of Norfolk. Team Gibbs gathered their gear and headed out to the scene. Gibbs was doing his usual ten times the speed limit driving techniques. After all these years Tony still had no idea how on Earth, Jethro was never arrested for his driving tactics. They arrived to the scene or rather what was left of it. The team stumbled out of the car and walked towards the burned out house.

"Why are we here? Why didn't they bring the body in? The house is a total loss. No way safe for anybody." McGee rambled.

"Our Marine made it to the out building. It is a laundry room/guest house. Her adult daughter found her. The house was gone by the time she made it home." Jethro explained.

The team walked into the out building/guest house. McGee jumped when he saw the burn marks on the wall. Jethro shot him a warning glare and he calmed down. They walked through the laundry room to the bedroom area. Tony surveyed the room. Until he discovered where the body had been left. Along with the team he proceeded over. He knelt down beside the body. The Marine was burned bad, far worse than she should have been if she made it to the guest house. He took a closer look and noticed that the cord of the drapes was tied or rather melted around the Marine's neck. Something about this scene was familiar, too familiar. He was about to open to his mouth to point out how badly the body was charred and yet the window cord was only melted by the heat, rather than charred. He didn't even get a full word out, before he remembered why this scene was so familiar.

"Shit!" Tony cried running through the charred remains of the front of the house, praying that he could get there in time.

"What the hell just happened?" Jethro demanded after Tony's outburst.

"My guess is he could not handle the scene. Maybe it reminds him of Jason?" McGee suggested.

"Who is Jason?" Bishop asked.

"Kid DiNozzo saved from a fire. We will tell the story later but that can't be it. Tony has worked fires before." Jethro recalled.

Jimmy made his way, with Ducky through the charred house. Like the team he wished that they would have just moved the body out. They walked through the house, having left the gurney on the lawn. Meaning they would be hand carrying the body out through the ash. Halfway through the house they past Tony flying out of the building. Jimmy raised his eyes with concern. He arrived into the back of the house and approached the body. He got about halfway across the intact room and stopped dead in his tracks. The body, the victim. It reminded him of... of... He could not even think about it. His body began to violently shake and he collapsed hard to the floor, letting out a blood curdling scream as he fell.

"JIMMY!" Ducky cried racing to his side.

"What is wrong kid?" Jethro asked.

"Jimmy are you alright?" McGee asked.

"What is wrong with him?" Bishop questioned.

"Don't just stand there! Get him out of here! Now! GET HIM OUT! NOW!" Tony demanded.

Jimmy came too in his own bed, in his own room. It took a moment for him to become aware of his surroundings. He sat up with his heart racing. He was sure that he was still in that horrible place. Trapped in a real life version of his own private nightmare. He relaxed when he noticed where he was. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. Before realizing that he must have blacked out. It had been a long time since he had suffered such a serious blackout. He heard footsteps coming towards his room. Still shaken by the events, he let out yet another blood curdling scream.

"Jimmy!" Tony called.

"Tony? How did I get here?" Jimmy asked.

"I drove you home. After we left the crime scene." Tony explained.

"How long was I out?" Jimmy asked.

"You were talking in the car but you passed out after we got home. You have been out for about two hours. Four have passed since the incident." Tony explained.

"You... you didn't tell them anything? Right?" Jimmy questioned.

"No I just said that you hadn't been feeling well all morning and drove you home." Tony explained.

"Good" Jimmy sighed.

* * *

 **A/N: What is Jimmy hiding? New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	2. Secrets

The fire weighed heavily on Jimmy's mind all night. He did not know many details about the situation but he knew enough to know it was not a coincidence. The fire had happened on the anniversary of his birth mother and baby sister's deaths. They had never caught his mother and sister's killer. He had only been ten years old when the fire happened and he had not been there but he knew who the killer was. He knew that it was his sperm donor. He would never consider that monster his father. Not after what he had done to his mother and Rose.

"Hey Jimmy?" Tony called early in the morning.

"What?" Jimmy asked.

"I am getting ready to head into work. Are you up to coming in?" Tony questioned.

"I better just go in." Jimmy replied reluctantly.

Even though he had woken Jimmy up. Tony still wished that Jimmy had said no. He did not believe that Jimmy was ready. He at least wished that Jimmy would tell the others would happen. Jimmy's was quite the secret. One that was far too large to keep hidden all these years. This coming from somebody with a mountain of secrets he was hiding.

"Morning Tony, how is Jimmy?" McGee greeted as Tony stepped into the bullpen.

"He is feeling better. He actually came back to work today." Tony replied.

"Has anybody filled you in on the fire?" McGee questioned.

"No what's up?" Tony asked.

"Still no answers but the victim's step-daughter and a close friend of the husband are coming in to give statements today." McGee explained.

"Where is the husband?" Tony asked.

"Out of town, we are trying to reach him but he is out of the country." McGee explained.

"Hmm" Tony mumbled, eyebrow raised.

Jimmy wandered around autopsy, opening up drawer after drawer. He had to find their latest victim he had to see if there were any connections. He wasn't sure if he would be able to find anything or even what he was looking for. The Marine had been hung in an intact area like his mother and it was the anniversary, but the similarities ended there. He still wondered how the hell the cops had ruled that one an accident. Didn't they see how badly burned she was? How on Earth did they think that she could have moved in that state? He just prayed that Jethro and Team Gibbs would take the case more seriously.

"She is in drawer number eleven. If you can handle seeing her." Ducky replied.

"I can handle it." Jimmy assured.

"Very well" Ducky replied.

"Do we know anything about her murder? Any suspects? Cause of fire?" Jimmy questioned.

"We have a couple of suspects but nothing definitive. We will not know for several days but the fire department believes the fire was deliberately set." Ducky explained.

"At least somebody is taking it seriously." Jimmy muttered.

"Excuse me?" Ducky questioned.

"It is nothing do not worry about it." Jimmy replied nervously.

The first witness to arrive was the family friend. Her name was Darcy Long and she had worked with the victim's husband for years. McGee had done some research and found that Darcy had been having an affair with the victim's husband. That was enough cause for her to be treated as a suspect. That was why she had been called to NCIS rather than visited in her own home. The job had fallen on McGee to question her.

"Thank you for meeting with me, Darcy." McGee said closing the door.

"It is no trouble. Dan is such a wonderful man, I still cannot believe that he is going through this again. I dread him getting the news." Darcy commented.

"Again?" McGee questioned, eyebrow raised.

"Yes his first wife passed away in a fire eighteen years ago now." Darcy explained.

"Is that so?" McGee questioned.

"Afraid it is. That is why Dan had the laundry room in a detached building. Maura was killed when their dryer overheated and caught fire. She had been dozing on the couch just outside the laundry room. By the time she noticed the flames. It was too late. A neighbor noticed and was able to rescue their young daughter from the house. I know that Dan had a son with Maura as well but he never talks about him. I don't dare ask." Darcy explained.

"Were you present for the fire?" McGee questioned.

"I was there just a couple hours before. Liza had to run some errands and I was watching her and Dan's son James. I made some macaroni for James' lunch and the stove seemed way hotter than it should be and it wasn't cooling down. I burned my arm pretty bad nearly two hours later. I left a note for Liza but she was flighty. Borderline dumb if you ask me." Darcy explained.

"The stove was overheating and you did not call an electrician?" McGee question.

"Liza would have flipped out. I swear she was bipolar. She could not have anybody in the house. She was just so paranoid about everything. Dan was a saint for tolerating her. I kick myself for not calling anybody but she prayed on Dan. She always threatened to take James away. She beat on that poor boy something fierce. Then she would turn it around and say that Dan was the abuser. She even went as far to make marks on herself and claim that Dan was abusing her. Poor man was aging fast and had was rapidly losing weight due to her behavior. Still he stuck by her. Personally I am glad that she is dead. Now Dan is free and doesn't have to worry about losing his son to a psycho in a divorce." Darcy explained.

"Thank you, Darcy. I think I have enough. I will call you if I need to speak with you again." McGee replied.

While McGee was talking with Darcy, Tony was instructed to meet with the victim's adult step-daughter. The daughter of her husband. She had been at school at the time of the fire. By some miracle it was a child development class and she had taken her younger half brother to the class for a project. Tony leaned against the wall and waited. The elevator dinged open and a tall woman stepped out into the catwalk. She looked familiar, extremely familiar. Tony racked his brain, trying to connect her. She was too young to be any of the girls he had dated. She didn't look like anybody he knew from work. Then it hit him. This girl was the female version of Jimmy Palmer.

"Agent DiNozzo?" Rose asked.

"That's me and you may call me Tony." Tony replied.

"Hello, Tony I am Rose. Rose Palmer." Rose greeted.

* * *

 **A/N: Is there any relation between Jimmy and Rose? New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	3. Truths

Tony was taken aback, to say the least. This girl looked so much like Jimmy and she had the same name as his dead sister. Jimmy had fairly generic features and Palmer was a pretty common last name, but the two combined. That could not be a coincidence. What was disturbing was Rose losing her mother the same way that Jimmy lost his. Then again how could she be Jimmy's sister? If her mother had only just died?

"According to the report you were at a college class at the time of the fire. Is that correct?" Tony asked.

"Yes sir. I am studying to be a special education teacher. I had brought my two year old half brother along for a demonstration, on how special needs and non special needs children interact." Rose explained.

"Interesting" Tony replied.

"Thank you" Rose replied.

"Now if you were at this class with your kid brother. How can you be a witness?" Tony questioned.

"Because I know that bastard killed my step-mother." Rose explained.

"Who is the bastard?" Tony questioned.

"My father. Scratch that my sperm donor." Rose scoffed.

"How can you know?" Tony questioned.

"Because he killed my mother and older brother, and he very nearly killed me." Rose explained.

"Can you elaborate?" Tony requested.

"Eighteen years ago that man burned down the house where I was born. A neighbor saved my life but my mother and brother were killed. They said that it was an accident. That my mother was delirious from the smoke and accidentally hung herself trying to get out the window. When I was young and naive I believed that but I know the truth. Even if it is possible for you to accidentally hang yourself in a delirious state. She was severely burned. Too severely burned to have made it to the other side of the house." Rose explained.

"And what happened to your brother?" Tony asked, trying to piece together a second puzzle.

"His room was off the laundry room. Where they said the fire started. He was home sick that day and sleeping. My mother was too busy being murdered to save him and my father was too busy murdering my mother and brother." Rose explained.

"Let's put a pin in that for now. Do you have any proof that your father is the killer? That he started both fires?" Tony questioned.

"Liza was divorcing him and my birth mother was about to divorce him as well. He did not want to have to deal with a divorce. He did not want to pay child support. So he murdered my mother and brother. He did the same thing with Liza. Except this time James was safe." Rose explained.

"What do you mean this time?" Tony asked.

"My older brother. His name was James. That bastard convinced her to name my baby brother after the son he murdered!" Rose snapped.

"How old was James?" Tony asked.

"Ten I was fifteen months old." Rose replied.

"You gave a great statement but it was not enough to give evidence. That being said the spouse is always a prime suspect. The fact that he has gone off the grid since the fire raises even more suspicions. We are looking to have him brought back to the states for questioning." Tony explained.

"Tony?" McGee called, from the doorway.

"Kind of in the middle of something." Tony snarled.

"I know. I just wanted to let you know that Darcy said the stove was overheating. That may have had something to do with the fire." McGee explained.

"The stove was not overheating. We just had the house rewired and that stove was fine. I heated some ramen for myself before class. It was fine." Rose explained.

"You don't say." McGee commented.

Tony's talk with Rose only made his suspicions grow. She shared Jimmy's mannerisms and his nervous frown. The story of the death of her birth mother was the same as the story of Jimmy's mother. The only difference was that in Rose's version Jimmy was dead. In Jimmy's version Rose had perished in the fire. That one was interesting. He had to wonder what had happened to prompt the siblings being separated. He had so many questions and the only way to get answers was to solve the current case.

"Was it me or did that chick look like a girl version of Jimmy?" McGee questioned.

"Looked like him and shared his last name. Makes me wonder." Tony explained.

"Except Jimmy's only sibling was Clarke and he died years ago. Of course Clarke was old enough to be Jimmy's dad. Had a kid who was small when we started. Maybe she is his niece." McGee suggested.

"No Jimmy's niece was Mary. She died in the same accident as Clarke and his wife." Tony reminded.

"Right" McGee replied.

Jimmy held the photograph close to his chest. The single photograph was all he had left of his sister and mother. One of the only items to survive the fire that took the lives of his family. That could not be a coincidence. That every sentimental item was destroyed when the fire only destroyed half of the house. Most of those things were in the part of the house that remained untouched. He had known the truth since he really began to investigate the fire in high school. When he was supposed to be interviewing his family for a school project. Eunice and John had raised him as their own and Clarke was his brother but he wanted to know about the family he had lost.

"Who is that woman?" Ducky asked.

"She is nobody." Jimmy replied.

"You have tears in your eyes and I know that you have looked at that photograph a million times before. That is not a nobody" Ducky insisted.

"Fine. She is my birth mother. She died in a fire. Eighteen years ago. Yesterday." Jimmy explained in broken sentences.

* * *

 **A/N: Will Jimmy's confession shed any light on the current case? New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	4. Revelations

Needless to say Ducky was shocked and devastated by Jimmy's revelation. He was one of the few who knew Jimmy had been adopted around ten, but the details he knew were few. He had always just assumed his birth mother had died in an accident or gotten sick. Jimmy told what he did and until now the doctor never felt the need to pry. He thought it was just a simple albeit tragic story. He could have never imagined something like this.

"I had no idea." Ducky gasped.

"Most people don't. Though I have considered asking for help proving the truth." Jimmy explained.

"Are you implying the death was not an accident?" Ducky asked.

"No my mother was murdered. By my father." Jimmy confessed.

"Do you think that Liza was murdered by your father as well?" Ducky questioned.

"The scene looks similar. I was not home but I saw pictures at the police station." Jimmy explained.

"They showed those to a child!" Ducky gasped.

"No I just saw the file on the desk with my mom's name." Jimmy recalled.

"I am terribly sorry." Ducky apologized.

"Everything looks similar but I have no real proof. I have not heard from my birth father since he rejected me at the police station. He said that the wrong child died and walked away." Jimmy explained.

"Jimmy" Ducky whispered.

"I haven't heard from him but I knew he remarried around the time I married Breena." Jimmy explained.

"What is your father's name? Do you recall the wife's name?" Ducky questioned.

"David Thaddeus Palmer and Liza Deanne Crock Palmer." Jimmy replied.

"Good Lord! That is the full name of our victim and the name of her soon to be ex husband!" Ducky cried.

Liza's soon to be ex husband had been a suspect from the start. As a rule of thumb spouses, especially estranged spouses were the first suspects. Unless of course there was reason for another to be suspected. Timothy had done some digging around and found that David was having an affair and had been for sometime. He also discovered that Liza had a second Facebook profile under a different last name and was a member of several domestic abuse survivor and victim support groups. Her last post was announcing that he had finally agreed to the divorce. The next step was ensuring that she got custody of their son. Ducky noted that their toddler happened to be named James as well and that Liza had made several attempts to adopt David's now adult daughter. Coupled with Jimmy's revelation. David was now a prime suspect.

Ducky immediately rushed up to the squad room. Timothy and Elanor must have been taking a break, as their chairs were empty but Anthony and Jethro were a their desks, hard at work. Anthony had gone home the night before to tend to Mr. Palmer. Now Ducky knew why Jimmy had broken down and why he needed extra care. Now it was time for the team to look into the news. Because it was about time that bastard went down.

"What's up, Duck?" Jethro asked.

"I have some news regarding the case." Ducky replied.

"Whatcha got?" Jethro questioned.

"I have a huge reason to believe that Liza's soon to be ex-husband, David is the killer." Ducky explained.

"Did Jimmy tell you?" Tony asked.

"Excuse me?" Jethro questioned.

"He did" Ducky replied.

"Can somebody tell me why the hell Jimmy was with holding key information from a case?!" Jethro demanded.

"Because he is David's son. Liza was murdered the same way as his mother." Ducky explained.

"Why the hell didn't I know this?!" Jethro demanded.

"Jimmy was not ready to talk yet." Tony replied.

"Well one of you sure as hell could have!" Jethro snapped.

Jimmy sat alone in the empty office. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He only wished that he had confessed the truth sooner. Maybe if he had Liza would still be alive and her family intact. Jimmy wondered about her adult daughter. If she would have any interest in a man she had never met. The only link being that both of their mother's had been brutally murdered.

"I told Jethro" Ducky announced.

"Is he pissed at me?" Jimmy questioned.

"He was angry at Anthony for not coming forward. Until I reminded him that we had only just recently learned names." Ducky explained.

"Is Tony upset?" Jimmy questioned.

"Not at you or even Jethro. He is more angry at David for what he did." Ducky explained.

"Same here" Jimmy scoffed.

Tony had dealt with the brunt of Jethro's anger and what he prayed was the worst of Jimmy's heartache. Now he could focus fully on the case. He prayed that they would catch David and drag him back to the states. Nobody knew for sure if David, home at the time of his wife's death but he could have orchestrated the plot. That would get him some time and if they could link him to the murder of Jimmy's mother. That would send him to prison for the rest of his days. Unfortunately that would not happen right away, but there was one thing that could be done right away. Taking a deep breath Tony walked down to autopsy. No sense in Jimmy thinking his sister was dead any longer.

The truth was out and for the first time in years Jimmy could breathe easily. A huge weight had been lifted off of his chest. Now that the truth was out he only wished that he opened up sooner. A few people knew he was adopted. Even fewer knew that he had lost a mother and sister. Until today Tony was the only one who knew the truth. Guess that had changed and as relived as he was. He still had no idea what to do. The doors slid open and Tony stepped into the room.

"Jimmy there is something you need to know." Tony stated.

"What?" Jimmy questioned.

"Your sister Rose. She is alive." Tony announced.

"She is?" Jimmy gasped.

"She is the adult daughter of Liza. Liza considered her, her own. Now that Rose is an adult. She was going to move in with Liza and help her raise your half brother James." Tony explained.

* * *

 **A/N: How will Jimmy and Rose react to be reunited? New chapter will be up soon. Thank** **s for reading and please review.**


	5. Reunion

Rose was alive. She was really truly alive. Jimmy could not believe it. His baby sister was alive. For years he had begged the aunt who took custody after the fire to see her grave. Eunice had taken him to Maura's grave numerous times but they never saw Rose. Even though Jimmy's sperm donor claimed that she was buried in the children's cemetery on the other side of the road. At first she was reluctant. Jimmy had taken the loss of his sister particularly hard and became physically ill if she was even mentioned. Finally she agreed. They had looked around that cemetery for hours even checking to make sure that David had not used Rose's middle name Davis. The only Palmer's they found had died in the eighteen hundreds when the cemetery was first used. When he got older Jimmy had searched every local cemetery and when the "Everything is online somewhere" era began. Jimmy began scouring online records. He came up short. The only fifteen month old Rose Palmer he found who could even be remotely plausible had died of cancer in Pennsylvania three months after the fire. At one point during his early days of being an autopsy gremlin. He had questioned whether Rosie was in fact alive. He found a girl on Facebook who had the same birth day and hometown. She even looked similar to his sister. He had sent a a request but she turned him down and reported him for harassment. Siting that she did not know him.

Rose Palmer watched as little James scampered across the playground. The toddler had no idea that his mother was dead. He had been told but he did not understand. Sometimes he looked for her and screamed. Others he just carried on about being a toddler. Because he was just that a toddler. The world was simple for him. It was complicated for her. Her phone rang it was Tony from NCIS calling her. Assuming it was an update on the case, she called to her boyfriend to keep an eye on James. So she could take the call in private.

"Hello?"

"Rose?"

"Yes"

"It's Tony from NCIS. I spoke with you earlier."

"I remember. Do you have news?"

"I do but it's not about your stepmom. It's about your brother, James."

"James is at the park with me and my boyfriend. Should I get him away?"

"No your older brother James."

"James died when I was a kid. Remember?"

"Here's the thing. He didn't."

"Show me proof. I am texting you a photograph. You can come back to NCIS to meet him if you would like."

Rose was shaking her brother was alive. She was convinced that it was all a sick joke or a dirty ploy to try and squeeze more information out of her. Then she saw the image that came attached to Tony's text message. It was her older brother for sure. The same older brother whose grave she had begged her father to take her too. He always refused making up excuses or just flaking out on the rare occasions they visited her mother's grave. When she was fifteen she was visiting the children's cemetery for a project with her history club. She and her friend Nina had stayed back and searched for her brother's graves. She only found the graves of a family of children who had died in the eighteen hundreds. Rose had learned they were the first children buried there. With Nina's help and later with the help of Liza she searched local cemeteries and national databases. She found a James Palmer who died at the same age but a year apart. She thought maybe the dates were wrong but further researching found that James had died in a boating accident. Five or six years ago she had received a friend request on Facebook from a man named James Palmer. He was the age Jimmy would have been and lived locally. She had considered accepting the request but Liza had caught her and worried James was a predator. She deleted the request but Liza flagged Jimmy for harassment. This picture was the same James Palmer. Rose even checked out social media. This was in deed her brother.

She was coming to meet with him. She was really coming to meet with him. When Tony first told her of his plan to tell Rose the truth. He was sure that she would turn him down or at least make him wait a few days, but she did not. She was wanting to see him right away. Jimmy was thrilled but also terrified. He wanted to run but Tony was beside him. Time passed and he wondered if she had decided to back out. Then Agent Sanchez announced that he had a visitor. Standing behind the agent was Rose. Jimmy instantly burst into tears. After nearly two decades she finally had at least one answer.

Rose could not believe it. She was going to see Jimmy. After all these years she was going to see her older brother. She had left James with her boyfriend's sister. Joe had come with her for moral support but when they arrived to NCIS. She decided that she wanted to go alone. Joe hung back chatting with a security guard about the World Series. Rose smiled and headed for the elevator. Her smile soon disappeared. She was not sure if she was ready. She was having second thoughts but when the doors slid open and Agent Sanchez led her towards the doors labeled autopsy. She relaxed instantly. When she saw her brother standing beside Tony she burst into tears. After nearly two decades she finally had at least one answer.

"Jimmy" Rose called.

"Rosie" Jimmy gasped, pulling his sister into a tight hug.

"They told me that you died. In the fire." Rose sniffed.

"They told me the same thing." Jimmy replied.

"I was told you were home sick and a neighbor saved you but could not save you. They said that mom was on drugs and barricaded your door." Rose explained.

"Eunice never told me the specifics. I guess I was lucky. Even if it was a lie." Jimmy recalled.

* * *

 **A/N: Jimmy and Rose reconnect in the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	6. Recall

It was not long before Jimmy and Rose's reunion became key to the investigation. The siblings had begun to discuss the fires and events leading up to each event. Vance and Gibbs both felt that the conversation may hold important information. McGee and Tony took the siblings up to interrogation and let them occupy the room. McGee and Tony observed from the other side. It was private but not private. Intervention could be made at any time if need be. It seemed harsh but it was actually perfect for everybody.

"You think they have enough information?" McGee asked.

"Not enough to make a formal arrest but enough to keep David as prime suspect." Tony replied.

"You think Jimmy will be OK?" McGee asked.

"What do you mean?" Tony questioned.

"This is a lot to take in. Finding out his sister is alive and he has a half brother. The same day he finds out he was dead to his father and basically replaced. Finding out your step mother was a victim can't be easy either. Even if this was the first he heard of her." McGee clarified.

"He'll have a psych evaluation for sure. Maybe some time off and forced therapy but he'll be OK. He looks fragile but Palmer is pretty tough." Tony explained.

"I guess he'd have to be. Not sure I could go through what he did. Not even now with the family I've made." McGee commented.

"I sure as hell wouldn't." Tony replied.

Interrogation seemed like a weird place for a sibling reunion. Jimmy understood why but it still seemed uncomfortable and it probably gave Rose a negative view of those who had become his family. He played it cool and she did too but you could cut the tension with a knife.

"What do you remember? About the days leading up to the fire? This one." Jimmy asked.

"Dad and Liza had been having trouble for a while. She only stayed for legal reasons. Now that I was a legal adult and she scraped together enough money for a good lawyer. The parents she represented always won custody. Largely because she was not blinded by stereotypes or false information. She wouldn't let the judges be swayed either." Rose explained.

"Did Liza say she was leaving?" Jimmy asked.

"Dad was served with divorce papers within twenty four hours of the fire. He was getting ready to leave for some trip to Europe. A meeting with a big business man. Longtime friend and major scum. I once heard them bragging about beating on children and woman." Rose explained.

"Did dad hit you too?" Jimmy asked.

"He did worse to me." Rose replied nervously.

"What do you mean?" Jimmy asked even though he knew the answer.

"He would come into my room. Say I was like mom before she got the bitch disease. Liza found out a few years ago. Before James came along. I had this old recliner in my room. I didn't have a bed when I was squatting with dad in middle school. My teacher found out and brought her dad's chair for me to sleep in. It wasn't a bed but it was a better than the floor. Mrs. Monroe died in a car accident that summer. So it was extra special. Anyway Liza slept there, claimed it was better for her neck and just easier when she was pregnant with James." Rose explained.

"Did anybody know?" Jimmy asked.

"Mrs. Monroe was the only one who believed me. Dad is an excellent actor." Rose replied.

"Why didn't she report it?" Jimmy asked.

"She was going to. A car ran her off a bridge." Rose explained.

"Did your car disappear after that?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah but..." Rose started.

"But what?" Jimmy questioned.

"I was asleep when we wrecked. Dad was God knows where but the doctor said we hit a deer. That's the story dad told anyway." Rose explained.

"Were the two events close?" Jimmy asked.

"Same day, same time, within a mile according to the paper." Rose explained.

"Did dad have anyway of knowing?" Jimmy asked.

"He overheard me. I had summer school and this was the only day he came to get me." Rose sobbed.

"It's OK. It wasn't your fault. He is a murderer." Jimmy assured.

"I can't talk anymore. Not now. What do you remember?" Rose asked.

"Mom and dad had issues for a while. From what I remember we were going to stay with Aunt Eunice and Uncle Clark for a while. Mom was pretty private but I heard her talking about divorce with Eunice and a few of her girlfriends." Jimmy recalled.

"Did she serve dad?" Rose asked.

"They were given a few days before. I remember she told me to pack a suitcase. To make sure I got everything special and enough clothes to last a while. She had packed your stuff and sent it with Eunice. She wanted us out at least." Jimmy explained.

"Did she know what dad was going to do?" Rose questioned.

"No but when you are a victim of domestic abuse. You have to get out fast." Jimmy explained.

"Liza had all but moved into the guest house. A few of James and my things had been stored at Joe's house. That's my boyfriend. He had been helping us." Rose explained.

"Not really a connection but definitely eerie." Jimmy commented.

"Did dad act like mom was mentally ill?" Rose asked.

"He said she was bipolar or something." Jimmy replied.

"That's what he said about Liza. I know it wasn't true. She couldn't be if she were a Marine." Rose insisted.

"She certainly could not. I know mom wasn't either. She was always a house wife but I did research on bipolar in high school. Partially for a project in psychology/health and partially to see if I could self diagnose. Eunice never talked about it but Eunice was old fashioned and did not talk about mental illness." Jimmy explained.

"No symptoms?" Rose guessed.

"For either of us." Jimmy replied.

"So he was gas-lighting?" Rose asked.

"No but it is not uncommon to pin mental illness to make somebody look bad or at the very least suicidal." Jimmy explained.

"That explains a lot." Rose sighed.

On the private balcony in a posh Italian Hotel two men sat at a glass table and sipped expensive wine. The younger man wore a hat and sun glasses. Not much different than the other tourists enjoying an unseasonably warm day on the beach. The difference this man was hiding from the law. The older man wore a hat but left his distinctive green eyes exposed.

"You said you had information that would turn those NCIS freaks away from me?" The younger man asked.

"This file will tell you everything. I guarantee taking them down will distract NCIS enough for you to regain your freedom." The older man insisted sliding a tan folder across the table. A picture of Ziva David peeked out the top.

* * *

 **A/N: Will Ziva be David's next victim? New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	7. Come Together Fall Apart

All signs were pointing to David Palmer. The only problem... he was not in the states at the time of the fire. Who was in the states at the time of the fire? Who had been at the Palmer's house just hours before the fire? Darcy Long, David Daniel Palmer's mistress. She had been having a years long affair with David or as she knew him Dan. By all accounts David should have been thrilled by the divorce. By the idea of being free to date Darcy. He was not. He was a sick man and wanted to keep Liza in his clutches. When she chose to leave on her own accord. He decided to end her life. They were sure it was him but they had no real evidence that it was Darcy who started the fire.

Jimmy was put immediately on psychiatric leave. He had an evaluation in a couple days but until then he was to stay home and recuperate. He was using that time to get to know his siblings and Rose's boyfriend. James and Rose were staying at Joe's house while they searched for a new home. On the cool afternoon Jimmy sat with Rose and Joe on the "patio" outside the unit. While James ran around the backyard.

"I cannot wait until we get our new place." Rose commented.

"You find something already?" Jimmy asked.

"We have a few leads. I have actually been looking for a few weeks. Rose and I were wanting to move in together for a while." Joe explained.

"Will any of the leads work for James?" Jimmy asked.

"We had agreed to look for James. It's just hard to find a four bedroom house in our price range." Rose explained patting her belly.

"You're pregnant?" Jimmy asked.

"Ten weeks" Rose replied.

"Congratulations" Jimmy replied.

Back at NCIS the Major Case Response Team was going crazy. Desperately searching for evidence that Darcy had started the fire, and Darcy herself. Tony and McGee had gone to her home for further questioning. When she did not answer they approached her neighbors. The woman next door informed them that she was going to visit her boyfriend overseas. That was it. Both Darcy and David/Dan's social media accounts were gone. Both had their phones disconnected.

"I just spoke with Darcy's boss." McGee announced.

"Any news?" Tony asked.

"She handed in her resignation last night. He said she was going to care for her boyfriend in Italy. More than we had but still not enough." McGee explained.

"She's not in Italy. She's in New York detained by the NYPD. A woman fitting her description requested a last minute ticket to Naples. She was flagged and taken into custody. They are arranging to have her transported straight to NCIS HQ." Gibbs explained.

"How can she be detained? We just released her description." McGee commented.

"She is on probation for felony assault. She wasn't supposed to leave the state." Gibbs explained.

Ziva David slept peacefully, assuming her daughter was still under her arm. Tali had climbed off the bed and headed off to play with her toys. She was pulled from her sleep by the sound of the front door slamming shut. She jolted up when she saw that Tali was not by her side. She raced towards the front door but was stopped by a large, masked man. She fought back but the man overpowered her. Grabbing her by the neck and squeezing until she stopped fighting and passed out.

It was nice getting to know Rose but Jimmy was feeling guilty. He wished that he could be at NCIS helping with the case. At this point he would not be much help but he still wanted to be there. He wanted to catch that bastard before anybody else got hurt. He did not want anyone else to go through what James and him have. What Rose was now going through for a second time, but he could not be. He had to take time to focus on himself. To focus on his mental health and recovery.

"What's on your mind?" Joe asked, taking a seat beside Jimmy.

"I want to be at NCIS. I want to be helping them." Jimmy explained.

"My grandfather was a cop. He always said it's best to stay away if you cannot be in it one hundred percent." Joe explained.

"I'm just an autopsy assistant." Jimmy admitted.

"Even more so then." Joe replied.

"I know but I just want him off the streets." Jimmy sighed.

"And he will be." Joe assured.

Things were finally looking up. Darcy had been caught and Gibbs had found a lead on David's whereabouts. Team Gibbs could finally breathe easy or so they thought.

Bishop was perched on the couch in Vance's office. Her lunch was a reward for helping Jared with a Geography project. She felt a little guilty for enjoying herself. McGee was tracking Gibbs' lead on David, and Tony and Gibbs were waiting for Darcy to arrive at HQ. She had just reached for another piece of sub. When the door swung open and McGee burst in.

"I need you to call Gibbs immediately!" McGee cried.

"Gibbs is just downstairs with Tony." Vance reminded.

"I know just call him up here and just him." McGee insisted.

Gibbs was annoyed to say the least. He could not imagine what would be important enough to call him away. Darcy was due to arrive any minute now and per protocol two agents were supposed to escort her up. Now he was called up to the director's office and Agent Brown was heading down to take his place. He rode the elevator up to Vance's office, tapping his foot out of annoyance the entire time. He opened the door and his heart dropped. The room was somber and even the director had tears in his eyes.

"What is going on?" Gibbs demanded.

"Gibbs, Ziva is dead." McGee announced, voice cracking on every word.

* * *

 **A/N: How will Tony take the news? New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	8. Burned

The director's office was as quiet and somber as a tomb. The broad smile from the director's assistant who made Gibbs look expressive sent a chill down Tony's spine. That was nothing compared to hearing Gibbs catch his breath and cry "Oh God!" before turning away as Tony entered. Gibbs was sitting on the couch. He looked up when Tony entered their was a glint in his eye. Was it a tear? It was? Tony was officially terrified. What could make Sheila smile that fake smile? Could make Vance seem afraid? Could make Leroy Jethro Gibbs cry in front of his boss and SFA. Gibbs patted the second cushion. Tony walked over and took a seat. Gibbs was genuinely in pain. Tony could already feel his world collapsing around him.

"What's wrong?" Tony asked.

"Tony I really hate to tell you this. Tony I am sorry but Ziva is dead." Gibbs replied.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"Ziva died today." Gibbs restated.

"What?! How? Is Tali OK? Should I go to her? Is she coming to me?" Tony rambled.

"The farm house burned. Tali is fine. She remembered fire safety and got out of the house. I don't know if she got Ziva's phone or ran to a neighbor but she called Ziva's friend Ellen. Ellen must have called for help. They got the fire out but found Ziva's body while going through the house." Gibbs explained.

"Where is TALI?!" Tony demanded.

"She is at the hospital getting checked out. Ellen said she would call with an update. McGee is working to get you a plane ticket. Then return tickets for the two of you. Take as long as you need." Gibbs explained.

"No! This isn't real! This has to be a sick joke! McGee is getting the ultimate revenge Ziva can't be dead! She can't be! She just can't!" Tony screamed.

"Tony I am sorry." Gibbs apologized.

"No you aren't!" Tony snapped before storming out of the room in a rage.

Tony ran down to the bullpen. This could not be true. This had to be McGee's revenge. After all the shit Tony had put McGee through. He really deserved pay back but this was cruel. He flew into the bullpen, making a beeline for McGee's desk. In a fit or rage he began grabbing things off of the younger man's desk and throwing them at his face. McGee just sat back not moving or even reacting. He just let Tony fling paper and pencils his way. He did not even react when Tony smashed the MIT mug he had just received from Delilah. Tony was cursing up a storm and screaming.

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" Tony screamed.

"Tony you need to relax." McGee pleaded.

"NO! This isn't funny! It isn't funny! How could you do such a cruel prank?!" Tony demanded.

"Tony it isn't a prank. She is really gone. I am sorry." McGee apologized.

"No she can't be. She just can't be. Not Ziva. Not my Ziva. Not Ziva." Tony sobbed.

"I am sorry." McGee apologized.

"Ziva. Ziva. Ziva" Tony wailed flinging his arms towards the heavens.

Tony had never been in this much emotional pain before. He had never been this destroyed. Tali was alive and he was grateful but Ziva being dead. Ziva being dead was just unfair. She was his life, the love of his life. He was going to ask her to marry him when Tali and her returned. They were finally going to be a family. Now in a second all of that was shattered. Ziva was dead and Tali was in the hospital. Gibbs did not know much more than that. They were waiting on an update. Tony told himself that Tali would not have made it out of the house to call for help if she were bad off. Unless she had smoke inhalation. That could be serious. She could have started getting sick after. She could be dying next. Tony was sure that he was about to lose everything.

"Anthony" Ducky called.

"Ziva's dead." Tony squeaked.

"I know." Ducky replied.

"It hurts so much!" Tony wailed.

"I know and I am sorry." Ducky apologized.

"Did you hear anything about Tali?" Tony asked.

"No but Jethro assured that you would be the first to know." Ducky explained.

"I can't lose her too." Tony sobbed.

"You won't they are just checking her over." Ducky assured.

"This isn't fair." Tony sobbed.

Tony was taking as much time as he needed. McGee had gotten him a flight that would leave DC International at six in the evening. He would fly out and collect Tali. McGee had not bought return tickets yet. He had opted to wait until he knew when Tony would be ready to return home. They still did not know much about Tali's condition or what would be waiting for Tony when he arrived to Israel. What Ziva wanted or what business her death would bring.

Tony had been told to take his time but the rest of team Gibbs was not taking a break. They took a brief moment to gather in Abby's lab and have a good cry. Then it was back to work. Vance had offered to hand the case off to another team. The case had always been personal but now the team was out for blood. They knew that Dave was connected. The timing was just too perfect. Coincidences did not exist their world. This was just a sick ploy on Dave's part to throw the team off the case. To distract them. What Dave did not know was that Team Gibbs was a family. When you hurt one member of the family you hurt all of them. You did not hurt this family. Unless you wanted to move into a extremely tiny apartment six feet below the Earth. Hurting Jimmy's family was a death warrant. Murdering Ziva was suicide. Suicide by a pissed off Marine, geek, and foodie. The movie lover may be out of commission but the reasoning made the anger greater. David Daniel Palmer was a dead man. Justice would be delivered very soon.

* * *

 **A/N: Who will get to David first? New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	9. Shaking

Jimmy was the last from NCIS to find out about Ziva. The news cut like a knife. The past few days had already been a roller coaster of emotions, but this was pure devastation. Ziva was his friend and Tony loved her so. He heard about Tony's outburst from McGee. Tony had lobbed a stapler at McGee's head. The junior agent ended up with four stitches in his head as a result. Now Tony was sedated and flying out to Israel with Vance. Now Jimmy was sobbing uncontrollably on Joe's kitchen floor.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked.

"She's dead!" Jimmy sobbed.

"Who?" Rose asked.

"My friend, Ziva." Jimmy sniffed.

"What happened?" Rose asked.

"She was killed. I am not sure how. There wasn't much time to talk. They had to get back to the case. All I know is she is dead." Jimmy explained.

"I am sorry." Rose apologized.

"Me too she was engaged to my best friend. They have a little girl together." Jimmy replied.

"Is the child OK?" Rose asked.

"I don't know. She is being checked out but I do not know what is happening." Jimmy explained.

"Is there anything I can do?" Rose asked.

"I don't know" Jimmy replied.

Jimmy's heart hurt for Tony and Tali. He could not believe that Ziva was really gone. He always thought that Ziva was indestructible. That she would be burying every single one of them. Except for maybe Gibbs but definitely himself. To think that she could have been taken away from them by a fire. Though it was appropriate fire had destroyed fire.

Jimmy had lied to Rose about Ziva's death. After what she had gone through. The last thing she needed was to hear of another life lost to fire. He kept the truth from her. At least until he could figure out how to break the news.

Jimmy tried to call Tony but his friend was not answering. He understood why but he was still wanting to say speak to his friend. There was so much that he wanted to say to his friend. So much that he wanted to do for him but all he got was voicemail. It made sense. McGee said Tony had been drugged for the flight. Even if he came to there was much to be done. Tony was probably at the hospital now with Tali. Probably a lot to take in. Jimmy prayed that Tali's injuries were not too severe. He had no idea how Tony would cope with losing his fiancee and his baby girl.

He looked at Rose who lost two mothers to fire. Too much loss for too many people. His family and his team did not need anymore loss. His bastard father did not need to take any more lives. No more hearts needed to be broken. Of course they would be but he prayed that soon one source of heartbreak would forever be eliminated. For that his sperm donor needed to die and he needed to die soon.

Jimmy finally heard news on Tony. It was very early in DC when the call came. Jimmy could not remember how much earlier or later it was in Tel Aviv but he assumed that it was a more reasonable time. It was not Tony calling but Vance. Tony was out of his sedation but at the hospital with Tali. She was going to be OK. That was the good news. The one shimmer of good in the past twenty four or so hours.

When Tony and Tali got back to the states they would need a place to stay. Jimmy knew that finding a house would be the least of Tony's worries when he returned. He would return a damaged man with toddler in tow. They did not need to be house hunting. They needed to be together. Jimmy would let Tony and Tali stay in the apartment. He was making more now that he was a licensed medical examiner but still didn't see buying a house in his future. He would look for apartments. Probably just a cheap, crappy apartment. Not like he would be staying their much anyway. He was working most of the time and would probably be hanging out with Rose a lot.

Ziva being dead made Jimmy wish he could return to work. He wished he could help. That he could do something to stop that bastard. He was not the violent type and after fifteen years or so years of seeing victims of varying forms of violence. He was not fond of weapons especially guns and what he called attack knives. Yet he wanted to take that bastard out in the most violent way imaginable. He knew it was a sick and slippery feeling but he could not help it. These fires were bringing out old feelings. Feelings he had tried to bury many years ago. He had years of therapy before being released four or five years ago. All that was gone in an instant. He knew that he was facing even more therapy time as he came to terms with the latest losses and revelations.

Rain was pounding on Jimmy's roof as he paced around the apartment. His blood surged through his veins and his heart raced. Trying days and hours were only going to get more complicated. Life would only get more complicated in the coming hours, days, weeks, months, and possibly even years. He had gained family and he had lost family. Long kept secrets had come tumbling out and reality had set in. If he had told the truth years ago. Maybe just maybe Liza and Ziva would still be alive, maybe just maybe less hearts would be broken. If he had only told the truth.

Jimmy swore that he smelled her perfume and heard her laugh. He swore that Tony and her were sitting on the couch and Tali was playing on the floor. He swore that it was all a terrible dream but it was not a dream it was real life. Cruel, cruel real life.

* * *

 **A/N: The next chapter will be Tony and Tali's perspective. New chapter will be up soon thanks for reading and please review.**


	10. Tel Aviv

Director Vance ended up flying with Tony out to Israel. Tony was in such a dark place there was no way he could fly on his own. He was in no way good enough shape to meet his daughter at the hospital. He was not even sure if he could break the news to his little girl. How did you tell your child that her mother was dead? How did you move on from such an event?

The plane touched down in Tel Aviv. Tony and Vance immediately headed to the hospital. They knew that Tali was injured but going to survive. Still Tony feared what he would see. He wished that it was the other way around that he was dead and Ziva was alive. She would be so much stronger than him. She would not have these fears. She would just tell Tali the truth. She would not need somebody to fly with her. She would not have needed to be sedated.

"Tali is in room 235B. She is doing well and can be released now that you are here. They are sending paperwork." Vance announced.

"I am not ready for this." Tony argued.

"She needs to know the truth sooner rather than later and she has been in that hospital bed for nearly twenty four hours. She needs you." Vance insisted.

"How do I tell her?" Tony asked.

"All you can do is tell the truth." Vance replied.

"How do I do that?" Tony asked.

"I will come with you." Vance offered.

Tali was propped up in her bed. She was coloring and watching cartoons. She had a small bandage on her arm where she had been burned. The doctors assured it was no worse than a burn from a stove or a really bad sunburn. There would be a scar but she would require no surgeries or major intervention. She was off oxygen but a tank was pushed to the back corner of her room. The physical injuries would heal in a matter of days or weeks. The mental scars were far deeper and would only fade. She sat there so happy, so young, so innocent. She did not deserve the pain that was about to come.

"Aba!" Tali cried.

"Hey baby girl." Tony greeted.

"Where Ima?" Tali asked.

"Tali your Ima. She is not going to come." Tony replied.

"Why not?" Tony asked.

"Tali she is gone." Tony replied.

"Where? Why?" Tali asked.

"Tali your Ima is dead." Tony blurted out instantly regretting his bluntness.

The look of pain on Tali's face was forever burned into Tony's memory. He wished he could take back his words and be more delicate. He had tried but Tali was not understanding delicate and he could not play the game much longer. Then again Vance was right he had to be honest. He had to just rip the band-aide off. No matter how hard it was for him, for Tali.

Tony signed the forms and was given cream for Tali's burns. Now began the painful process of starting over. Of trying to figure out this new role of single father. The house was a total loss but Tony still wanted to go through the rubble, see if anything survived. There was so much of Ziva's and Tali's that was lost. So much he wanted to save but knew without searching was gone. Maybe it would be futile but if he could at least find Ziva's Star of David and save it for Tali. He would be beyond happy.

Tony, Vance, and Tali checked into a hotel for the night. One room with two double beds. Vance had one, Tony and Tali shared the other. It was late now. Tony held Tali close to him, never wanting to let go. Wanting only to protect her forever. Tali had cried for hours but was now in a deep sleep. He envied her. It would be some time before sleep was even a possibility for him. He hated to admit it but it was the truth. The terrible, terrible truth.

Tony looked over at Vance. The director was on his phone talking with Jared and Kayla. The Vance children were teenagers now and staying alone more but Leon kept the nanny on hand for when he had to be gone overnight or if one of the children was sick. Jared and Kayla were older when Jackie died. Kayla was twelve and Jared was ten. They understood more of the world and it had been easier to break the news. Their pain however was was no different than Tali's. For years Tony had thought that he would never trade places with the director. Now he was in the same place and he had no idea how he was even going to begin to cope with the loss.

Nobody got much sleep that night. Everybody was devastated. Tali had nightmares and Tony did not blame her. Tony had downed a pot of coffee wanting to hide from the nightmares himself. Even Vance was tossing and turning, crying out for Ziva. Tony regretted his decision to stay awake but the very idea of his nightmares was too much to bear. Besides somebody had to be awake for Tali. Somebody had to comfort the girl when she woke up crying and begging for her Ima. With everybody else gone. Than task fell onto Tony.

The next morning Tony was given the opportunity to see the house and go through what he could. He took one look and was instantly grateful that he had left Tali with Vance. The farmhouse was hard to look at. Tony remembered how special this place was to Ziva and it broke his heart to see it gone. In that sense he was glad she was gone. Ziva's heart would have broken and so would Tali's. Tears fell as he studied the remains. The walls had all collapsed, only rubble remained. That was all that was left of an entire life time. Where was the justice?

* * *

 **A/N: More on the case in the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	11. Standstill

Back at NCIS the team was at a standstill. David was untraceable and there was only one his on the BOLO. A man fitting David's description had been in Italy. Authorities were searching for him but he had some how slipped the country. No phone to track, no real hope.

"How the hell could he leave Italy?! They were supposed to stop him at the airport! At borders! How could he just leave?!" Gibbs bellowed.

"Private jet?" McGee suggested.

"What should you do if you think that?" Gibbs questioned.

"Check a database of private planes in Italy." McGee replied.

"Bingo" Gibbs smirked.

Israel was the last place in the world Tony wanted to be. Once upon a time he loved his fiancee's home country but not anymore. Now the country only brought pain. He was only haunted by the painful memories and loss. The farmhouse he loved was gone, along with the woman he loved. He slept in a sad hotel while he tended to the business that came with Ziva's death. Her body had not been released but he had to speak with LEO's and make arrangements for her body to be transported to America. He was breaking many traditions but he had no choice. Even if he buried Ziva in Israel. It would still be over twenty four hours. Though they did have a memorial at her temple the first night he was in Israel.

Jimmy was still at Rose's apartment. Unable to return to work and without Tony to distract him. He had no real reason to go anywhere else. He knew that Joe felt weird with him around, James was confused, and Rose probably did not know how to throw him out. He knew all these things but he dreaded returning home.

"Hey Jimmy?" Rose called.

"Yeah" Jimmy called back.

"Somebody named Anthony DiNozzo is calling you." Rose replied.

"Tony?" Jimmy asked.

"Yep" Rose replied.

Jimmy retrieved his phone from Rose's hand. His happiness turned to fury. It was not Tony calling but Anthony DiNozzo Senior. He had no idea why the old bastard would be calling him. The only reason he had Senior's number was because he had forgotten to erase it after a case. Damn backed up contacts. He wanted to throw the phone and run away but what if something had happened to Tony? Grunting from frustration he accepted Senior's call.

"Hello?"

"Where is Junior?"

"In Israel. Uh visiting with Ziva and Tali."

"Any idea when he will be back?"

"He didn't say."

"Oh well that's too bad because I am heading to DC."

"You are?"

"Yeah I have to meet a client."

"How long will you be here?"

"Just a few days but I could always stay longer."

"I don't know. Tony may be moving Ziva and Tali back."

"Well did you ever think maybe I wanted to see my granddaughter?"

"Maybe come back in a week or two. It's going to be a rough transition and Tali will have to adjust to the time change."

"I am leaving the country for a year next week. This is my last chance for a year."

"Does Tony know?"

"It was sudden hence the urgency."

Tony stood before the rubble where the house had once stood. One last day to sift through. So far all he had found was ashes and pain. His heart broke knowing that she was gone. Sifting through the ashes only made it more real. The house was a total loss, the fire was hot, and must have moved fast. There was no way Ziva could have made it out alive. Truth be told it was a miracle that Tali had survived. Tony continued to sift. Just wanting one thing for his baby girl. One memento that would be a link to Ziva. One thing was that really too much to ask?

Jimmy slammed his phone down to Rose's floor. He always felt dirty after talking to that man but today his skin was crawling. Crawling so much he wanted to rip it off and throw it away. Senior was such an bastard. To an outside observer it was strange for Jimmy to be angry at a man for wanting to reconnect with his son, daughter in law, and granddaughter, but Jimmy knew Senior's games all too well. He knew that the bastard had something up his sleeve.

"Is your friend OK?" Rose asked.

"No" Jimmy replied darkly.

"What's wrong? What can I do?" Rose asked.

"His father is causing trouble and there is nothing that you can do." Jimmy spat.

There were still no answers to be had at NCIS though they were working. Everybody was working to find answers. They wanted this case wrapped and for Jimmy and Tony to have peace of mind. They wanted this ordeal to be over but there was no end in sight.

"Have you found anything?" Gibbs asked.

"Not a thing. A lot of private jets, a lot flew out between now and when David was seen." McGee explained.

"Can't you look a little harder?" Gibbs demanded.

"If I could look harder they would be found." McGee scoffed.

"Just get back to work!" Gibbs ordered.

McGee could not be angry with Gibbs. Everybody was hurting and nobody had gotten sleep the night before. Gibbs had not left the office. Not even to go for more coffee. This was serious. Gulping down his latest cup of coffee, McGee went back to work. Again there was nothing, again and again. Then there was something and McGee instantly wished that he had come up short again. Even the wrath of Gibbs was better than this outcome.

"Hey Boss?" McGee called.

"Whatcha got?" Gibbs asked.

"I found something." McGee replied.

"That's why I said whatcha got." Gibbs hissed.

"A private jet flew out of a small air port in Rome yesterday morning. It touched down in Tel Aviv less than an hour before the fire. According to the airports staff two men boarded. One fit David's description. Like I said it's a small airport and they could not apprehend him." McGee explained.

"Unless you have the owner of the damn jet it doesn't mean shit to me." Gibbs snapped.

"I know the owner but you are not going to like it." McGee replied.

"What could be so bad?" Gibbs demanded.

"The plane is owned by Anthony DiNozzo Senior." McGee replied.

* * *

 **A/N: One step closer. New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	12. Fall Out

The first thing that happened was Jethro let out a blood curdling cry of rage. What came next was a silence so intense you could hear a pin drop. Even the six other teams were deathly silent. Though some agents had wandered over to see what had happened now. What they saw was McGee biting his lip, silent tears rolling down his cheek. Bishop stood with her fists clenched and her mouth agape. Gibbs was tensed up, a look of rage on his face nobody had ever seen before. A rage that was powerful even for Leroy Jethro Gibbs himself. After several minutes the silence was broken by Gibbs clearing his phone and whipping his head around until all agents had returned to their seats.

"I want you to find that bastard NOW!" Gibbs barked.

Finding Senior was crucial but there were two more daunting tasks, that had to come first. The first being telling Tony. The second being getting Tony and Tali placed under protection detail. If Senior was not above murdering his own daughter in law. He was certainly not above doing the same to his son and granddaughter. The next morning when Tony's plane touched down agents were waiting at the gate. The plane had been thoroughly inspected though the doubted Senior would be able to pull off an act of terrorism.

"My father?" Tony gasped.

"Afraid so" Jethro replied.

"Why would he do that to me? To Ziva? To Tali?" Tony questioned.

"That is what we need to figure out." Jethro replied.

"So what happens now?" Tony asked.

"Agents Kirk and Phyllis are here to provide protection detail. You are under detail until both Senior and David are in custody. You will cooperate with these agents. If they report back to me that you did not cooperate for them. I will personally handle your detail and you will not leave the upstairs of my house until you are released. Are we clear?" Gibbs declared.

"Crystal" Tony sighed.

With Gibbs gone to break the news to Tony. McGee and Bishop opted to take a brief moment to catch their breath. Bishop went down to the gym for a power workout. McGee went down to Abby's lab. Things had been awkward for them since McGee got serious with Delilah, but she was the only person he could really talk to. He was shaken by the news about Senior. Abby was the only one outside the team who really knew Senior. Well there was Ducky but the old doctor was preoccupied by Jimmy's revelation and grief. That left Abby.

"Are...Are you sure it was Senior? Maybe somebody stole his plane?" Abby questioned after McGee told her.

"According to the airport Senior boarded his plane at will with another man. Radio confirms he flew out." McGee explained.

"Maybe he was being forced. Senior is a pretty good actor." Abby suggested.

"The man fit David's description. I did more digging and he is an associate and a very close friend of Anthony DiNozzo Senior. He tried to buy into DiNozzo Enterprises last year but had to back out at the last minute." McGee explained.

"Innocent until proven guilty." Abby reminded.

Jimmy could not say that he was surprised by the news. Anthony DiNozzo Senior was a serious bastard. From the day he first met the older DiNozzo. Jimmy was just waiting for him to be involved in a murder or for him to do something unspeakably cruel to Tony. In one sinister act, he had managed to do both.

"I am sorry about your friend's wife. How is he holding up?" Rose asked.

"Tony is pretty shaken. He won't answer my calls but he is talking to his boss, Gibbs." Jimmy explained.

"At least he is talking to somebody." Rose commented.

"Gibbs lost a wife. He knows what Tony is going through." Jimmy explained.

"What was Tony's last name again?" Rose asked.

"DiNozzo" Jimmy replied.

"Is his father a business man?" Rose asked.

"I guess you could say that." Jimmy scoffed.

"DiNozzo enterprises?" Rose questioned.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Jimmy asked.

"David last year he was going to buy stock in a cooperation. DiNozzo Enterprises. James got sick and needed surgery. The bastard was still going to invest but Liza closed the account. Her brother worked for our bank. He got her around rules. She opened new accounts at a new bank only after the surgery was paid for." Rose explained.

"How did Senior take it?" Jimmy asked.

"Said James was worthless and Liza was a bitch. Next thing I know David is telling people that Liza is severely bipolar and that she poisoned James." Rose explained.

"Bastard" Jimmy scoffed.

Tony's heart was breaking, his rage had hit a fever pitch. He knew that his father was capable of some shitty things but he never saw him sinking to this level. Tony always figured that if anybody died at the hands of Senior it would be him. How could his own father have done this to Ziva? How could he have put Tali at risk like that? What on Earth had Tony done to deserve this? Couldn't Senior have just killed him? Why did innocent people have to pay for Tony's sins? Whatever they may be. In the hours after the second blow, Tony found himself just going through the motions. Just barely managing enough to get by. He was grateful the flight had warn Tali out. He was even grateful that he was under protection detail. Because once Tali was awake and the case was wrapped he would be facing the challenging task of being a single father. How would he survive that one?

"Are you OK?" Agent Phyllis asked.

"Fine" Tony lied.

"Should I check on Tali?" Agent Kirk asked.

"She is fine. It was a long flight." Tony replied.

"If you are sure." Kirk replied.

"I SAID SHE'S FINE!" Tony snapped.

* * *

 **A/N: Tensions are running high. Will Senior and David be caught before more lives are lost. New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	13. Rage

Tony slammed his fists hard into the wall. Rage was burning inside of him like a fire. He could not remember the last time he had been so angry. His father, his own father had taken his life from him. He was grateful Tali was alive but that did not make the pain any less severe. Knowing that he had lost Ziva and that he could have lost Tali. That he probably should have lost Tali. All because of Senior's greed. He wanted to find that bastard. He wanted to find both bastards. He hated both Senior and the older Palmer. Figures both his sperm donor and Jimmy's were worthless bastards.

Jimmy ached he just ached. He was hoping the monster would be caught by now. Instead a second monster had shown up. He hated that Senior had done this. He hated everything about this. He had tried to call Tony but the calls went straight to voicemail. Jimmy wouldn't know what to say if answered anyway.

Being home was strange for Tony. Being back with Tali and only Tali. Ziva was supposed to come back with her. They were supposed to be a family. Instead Ziva was gone and he was alone. He was suddenly a single father after barely seeing his daughter the past four years. How was he supposed to do this without her.

Jimmy was watching James for Rose and Joe. Joe had gone back to work and Rose was making arrangements. Jimmy was babysitting the half brother he had only just met. James did look a lot like him. There weren't many pictures of him before the fire but the surviving pictures showed he looked just like James. He wondered if Rose had ever caught on to that. She was so young when the first fire happened. It was unlikely that she would even remember.

"Who are you?" James asked.

"Jimmy, your half brother." Jimmy explained.

"Half brother?" James asked.

"It means we share only one parent. We have the same father." Jimmy explained.

"Oh" James replied.

The NCIS team was hard at work searching for DiNozzo Senior and David Palmer. The two men had a private jet and connections. They could disappear in an instant. Jethro could not wait to find the bastards and take care of them. A bullet between the eyes seemed appropriate for each. A former NCIS agent had been killed. There wouldn't be much fallout if both returned in body bags. In fact that was pretty much what Vance wanted.

"THEY ARE IN DC!" McGee cried out of the blue.

"Are you sure?" Jethro asked.

"Just got a hit on the BOLO. David and Senior checked into the Adams House under allies. The bellhop recognized Senior." McGee explained.

"Where are they?" Jethro asked.

"Senior was caught and is being transported to NCIS for questioning as we speak. David escaped from the officers and there is a man hunt for him throughout DC." McGee explained.

"Could this be close to over?" Bishop asked.

"I don't know. My gut is saying other wise." Jethro sighed.

Rose had texted and said that she was on the way home. Jimmy was a little sad. He was enjoying the time with James. Though he was getting tired and he did want to try and catch up with everybody from NCIS. Minutes after Rose texted, Jimmy smelled smoke. His heart sped up and he grabbed James. He was sure that David had found them and torched this place as well. He held James tight and raced from the building. He was the only one to come out so fast. The other residents just kind of walked out in a daze. A fire engine raced up the street and came to a stop in front of the apartment. The firemen just ran into the building. An old woman was sobbing and speaking with the super.

"JIMMY! JAMES!" Rose shouted.

"Rose I...I am so sorry. I think...I think David... Again... We are all out." Jimmy rambled.

"Oh no Jimmy it was nothing like that. It was just a small kitchen fire. They just have to make sure the fire is all the way out." Rose explained.

"I just talked to the super. No damage to our unit. Mrs. Langely's unit had damage to the kitchen and living room but they think it can be fixed. Everything seems to be OK but our floor is evacuated for the night. Same for any apartments with children, elderly folks, and people with lung issues. Mrs. Langely is going to the hospital and they had to take Johnny Hannigan but so far only two people are affected. All others can return once the fire department gives the go ahead." Joe explained.

"We can stay with my boss. He has extra rooms. I was going to stay with him tonight and he is always ready for guests." Jimmy explained.

"Are you sure?" Rose asked.

"I have to talk to a couple people from NCIS. We can check while I am there." Jimmy offered.

"OK" Rose replied.

Senior had made it to NCIS and had taken to interrogation They would be questioned and then taken to a maximum security prison. It seemed more complicated than it needed to be but NCIS needed motives. Their motives. Gibbs was doing the questioning. While in questioning an alarm sounded. Somebody was in the building. Somebody who did not belong and who had ill motives. Reluctantly Jethro locked himself in the room with the bastard. Everybody sheltered in place. The event only lasted a couple minutes but it felt like a lifetime. Jethro and Senior locked in interrogation McGee and Bishop on the other side. Ducky and Abby were locked in autopsy. Two hours later everything was cleared. There were two people shot in the event. Judy one of the secretaries. She had a bullet to the arm. It would be a long recovery but she was expected to survive. The second victim was Jimmy Palmer. Three bullets. Two to the abdomen and one to the chest. Prognosis was grim.

* * *

 **A/N: Will Jimmy survive? New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	14. Wait

Everything happened quickly, too quickly. Nobody got a great look at the shooter but everybody still knew who it was. A building full of federal agents and high value assets. Yet only two people went down and one was a minor injury from the crossfires. The other was the obvious target. Jimmy Palmer.

Upstairs Gibbs had gone back to interrogating Senior. He was furious, too furious to care about anything else. Downstairs the ambulances had left. The only sounds were the muffled cries of the agents and other staff. Ducky's sobs and screams came every single one. Even Abby was muffled.

Rose Palmer rode in the ambulance with her brother. Her heart was breaking. She had only just been reunited with her brother. He did not deserve to go out like this. He did not deserve to die at the hands of their sperm donor. He had done nothing wrong. He hadn't even given that much information. He certainly had not made it obvious that David was the murderer. That was all her. If any of the Palmer siblings deserved to go down it was her.

Upon arriving to the hospital Jimmy was raced off to the operating room. He was barely alive and the doctors did not seem very optimistic. From the waiting room Rose heard snippets of their conversations. "I don't know." "He's losing a lot of blood." "Three shots. "Looks like one went right to the heart." "I'll tell the family to prepare." Rose's heart broke. Ducky had arrived just in time to hear the words prepare. He did not need to see Jimmy on the gurney to know that it was Jimmy they were talking about.

The good news was that the first bullet had missed Jimmy's heart. It went right between the heart and lungs. Stopping just millimeters from the young doctor's spinal chord. The second bullet hit Jimmy's stomach but it did not go through. The third bullet soared through Jimmy's liver. Irreparable damage. Jimmy's liver was toast. He needed an immediate transplant or he would die a horrible death.

Jimmy was lying in the ICU just barely clinging to life. The part of his liver where the bullet had landed was removed. In most cases an individual could live with only half a liver but there was a fourth bullet lodged in the other half. Not as damaging as the first but doing enough damage to cause the organ to rapidly fail.

"Hours if he is lucky. Really we need somebody now." Dr. Sanchez announced.

Doctor Sanchez's words hung in the air and stung Rose's heart. Jimmy needed a transplant immediately but transplants did not happen immediately. Rose knew from her biology course that she could live with only half her liver. She had just had a physical four months earlier and was in perfect health. More likely than not that was still the case. The only real obstacle was whether or not she was a match. She needed to be a match. She was the only family Jimmy had/the closest person with a good enough chance to be tested. James was their brother two but he was only a toddler. Just two years old, far too young to donate an organ. A little bone marrow maybe but not half of his liver. Hell that would not been enough for a man of Jimmy's size.

"I want to be tested. To see if I am a match." Rose declared.

"Are you sure?" Dr. Sanchez questioned.

"Jimmy is my brother. We only just met again. I need to save him." Rose insisted.

"Very well I will contact transplant." Dr. Sanchez replied.

It was not sunshine and roses from there. First of all there was a far too large chance that Rose would not be a match. Even if she were she may have an ailment that would make it impossible for her to donate to Jimmy. Even something as simple as a bug. If her glands were swollen it was a no go. Even if Rose was healthy and a perfect match. Even if somehow everything worked out perfectly. Jimmy may succumb to his injuries, to the failure of his liver before the tests came back. All Rose could do was sit in another cold waiting room and pray.

The wait felt endless and Jimmy only continued to decline. Rose was heartbroken. Ducky came up to transplant and waited with her. Joe, McGee, Bishop, and a few others had come to be tested as well. Tony wanted to but was not a candidate due to his medical history. His history did not stop him from coming to the transplant floor and waiting for the news. He held Rose close and prayed with her. They cried together. Tears and prayers was all they could do in that moment of hell.

Back in the ICU Jimmy was fighting harder and hanging on longer than the doctors could have ever imagined. Jimmy Palmer was a hell of a lot stronger than anybody could have ever anticipated. After having the childhood he did. He kind of had to be. He continued to hang on and cling to the fight. Until the news finally came in.

Back on transplant Rose, Joe, and Jimmy's friends from NCIS continued to wait. Even Jethro Gibbs had come. Though he had gone out to walk around with Ducky. Rose had been so caught up in the worry that she had completely forgotten about her pregnancy. Until the doctors informed her of her test results. Now she joined Tony, Ducky, and Gibbs as only a bystander. After what felt like a lifetime the doors swung open and Dr. Lewis stepped through.

"We have exactly one appropriate match in this room." Dr. Lewis announced.

"Who is it?" Rose asked.

"Joseph Higgins" Dr. Lewis announced pointing to Joe.

Joe was over the moon with joy. He had never saw himself as an organ donor. He had checked the box on his license but only because his older brother had not and in his stupid adolescent mind he thought that would make him the superior sibling. He had renewed his license since then but did not bother to change his mind. He imagined being grilled by the DMV employee and publicly shamed. So he was still a donor. He may have checked the box but he thought he would be dead and not know or care. Well that was certainly not the case. Because in that moment he was very much alive and he cared very deeply. He was not just saving any life. This was not some perfect stranger. Rose and his mom would not be featured. Listening to his heart in the chest of some smiling survivor. On the fluff piece at the end of the nightly news. Half of his liver would filter the toxins out of his future brother in laws body. Rose loved Jimmy so much. She had mourned for him, for so long. Now he was alive and Joe was the person who could save his life.

* * *

 **A/N: Will the transplant be a success. New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	15. Interrogatio

Jethro Gibbs glared at the man who sat before him. He absolutely despised Anthony DiNozzo Senior. He knew Senior was guilty but he had to get answers. Vance had come in and offered to hand the case off to another team. For the second time he flat out refused. Between the death of Ziva and the shooting of Jimmy Palmer. This case was far too personal to hand over to some other team. No other team cared this much. No other team could care this much.

"Cat got your tongue?" Senior taunted.

"Don't speak unless addressed!" Gibbs snapped.

"I am so scared." Senior laughed.

"Why did you do it?!" Gibbs demanded.

"Do what?" Senior asked feigning innocence.

"I know you flew David Daniel Palmer to Tel Aviv and gave him the address of Ziva David's farmhouse." Gibbs explained.

"How can I know?"

"Your private plane flew from Rome to Tel Aviv. A man fitting David's description was seen at the airport where you keep your plane. BOARDING YOUR PLANE!" Gibbs shouted as he slammed a photograph onto the table.

"You want to know why I did it?!" Senior demanded.

"That is why you are here." Gibbs scoffed.

"Give me what I want." Senior begged.

"What do you want?" Gibbs asked.

"Immunity. I did not set the fire. I just chartered the plane. I can get immunity." Senior taunted.

"You are still an accessory. You knew and I know you know." Gibbs reminded.

"Then I guess I am not talking." Senior tormented, before turning his back to Gibbs.

Senior sat at interrogation. He would slam his hands on the table and stick his fingers in his ears anytime Jethro tried to speak with him. He was acting like a child. He was infuriating. Jethro wanted to pick him up and throw him across the room but knew that violence would not give answers. He knew that if he got too rough with Senior. If he let his rage get in the way. He and the team would be taken off the case. He could not let Tony down like that. He certainly could not let Jimmy and Ziva down like that. He had to swallow his pride and just pray that Senior came around. He held onto that until he remembered. This man was the reason Ziva was dead and part of the reason that Jimmy was in the hospital barely hanging on. At this point nothing else mattered. Even his own career was a moot point compared to what Tony and Ducky were going through. That man had just turned his back and allowed a psycho killer to destroy two families. This was unacceptable.

"GOD DAMMIT SPEAK!" Jethro demanded slapping Senior across the face.

"Not the way to get answers." Senior snarled.

"I am done being nice! I will shake the answers out of you if I have to." Jethro hissed.

"l wouldn't do that." Senior warned.

"Or what?" Jethro growled looking into Senior's eyes.

"And you say I am the crazy one?" Senior laughed.

"YOU KILLED YOUR DAUGHTER IN LAW!" Jethro screamed.

"She was too good for Junior." Senior snorted.

"Too good for Junior?! Too good for Junior?! That is your response?! Too good for Junior?! I just accused you of murdering somebody!" Jethro snapped.

"Well she was." Senior scoffed.

"I DON'T CARE! I CARE WHY YOU DID IT!" Jethro roared.

"David is my friend." Senior replied.

"Friend or was he giving you money?" Jethro demanded.

"THREE MILLION DOLLARS! He was going to invest three million dollars." Senior explained.

"Three million? How? David was a discharged Marine who most recently worked as an Uber driver and Liza was a Marine studying to be a school teacher." Jethro explained.

"Maybe it wasn't the best gains but it was three million dollars." Senior scoffed.

"Three million was worth Ziva's life and maybe Jimmy's?" Jethro demanded.

"I get you are the poor son of a miner turned shop keep. You joined the Marine's for adventure but never for money. Oh sure you could have made some money suing NCIS after they failed and your family was murdered but instead you went out for a vendetta and stuck yourself with the agency. Now you are an old man and believing that money does not matter. Me... Me I see what really matters. Because I am a real man." Senior rambled.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Jethro snapped, slapping Senior hard across the face.

"That will cost you." Senior teased.

"So be it." Jethro laughed.

"You would really give up your career for me?" Senior questioned.

"I will sacrifice my career for Tony. He deserves better than you. You chose money over your own son and family. You killed Ziva. You are damn lucky that you did not kill Tali." Jethro explained.

"How would you feel if I had killed Tali?" Senior questioned.

"Furious" Jethro replied.

"I would have laughed. Laughed because I know Junior would be such a wreck that he could not even get up. Then you would be off the case and I would be a free man." Senior explained.

"You are the biggest bastard I have ever met. I hate you. Honest to God I hate you." Jethro hissed.

"I do not care about your opinion. I do not care about you." Senior replied.

"Well you should." Jethro replied.

"Because you don't have immunity and with everything you told me. You are going to prison for a very, very, very long time." Jethro explained.

Interrogating Senior left Jethro with a feeling of intense rage. He hated that man. He absolutely hated him, but it was time to move on. Senior was on his way back to jail and Jethro was heading to the hospital. Jimmy was not doing well and the future was uncertain. For the sake of Tony, Jethro prayed that the young doctor would make a complete recovery.

* * *

 **A/N: Senior screwed himself. New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	16. Procedure

The waiting was absolute hell. Everybody had made it to the hospital by the time Joe was taken back to the operating room. Joe would go back first and then Jimmy. Joe would wake up first and then Jimmy. If everything went according to plan. If everything went according to plan Joe would come home after about a week. Jimmy's stay would likely be longer due to his other injuries. Joe would have to greatly limit alcohol intake and be careful about his diet. Same for Jimmy. Both men were facing a great risk. There was a chance that Jimmy would die and Joe would have reduced his risk for nothing. There were about a million things that could go wrong but nobody wanted to think about that. They worked hard to keep positive thoughts. They had to pray hard that Jimmy and Joe would both come through with flying colors and without major complications.

Tony looked at his watch. He was sure that Jimmy should have been out by now. He was sure that they should have known something by now. He lowered his arm and looked around the room. Rose was pacing nervously. Ducky was talking with somebody at reception. McGee was typing away on his phone. Abby was not around, she had left shortly after McGee arrived. Bishop had just returned from the vending machine. Tony wondered how even Bishop could eat at a time like this. Gibbs was leaning heavily against the wall. Tony could not remember the last time he had seen his mentor so mad. Tony's heart was heavy with worry. He had lost his fiancee. He did not want to lose his best friend too.

Ducky squeezed the reception desk so tightly that his knuckles were white. A look of anger and fear was etched on his face. He had asked the receptionist for an update on Jimmy but there was none. Of course there was none. A doctor would have come out if their had been an update. The last update was that the portion of Joe's liver had been removed and was en route to the operating room down the hall where Jimmy was. That had been four hours ago. An awful long time but Jimmy was in pretty poor shape. There was a chance that something could be going very wrong. There was also a chance that everything was fine, the surgery was just taking longer than expected.

McGee was frantically texting Delilah. She kept asking for updates and McGee could not give any. The surgery was taking a very, very long time. McGee knew that too much time had passed. His uncle had received a liver transplant twenty years ago and McGee was sure that it did not take this long, back then. He looked up and saw Ducky approaching them. He prayed there was an update but he was terrified that it would not be the good news that everybody was hoping and praying for.

"No news" Ducky announced shaking his head.

Bishop returned from the vending machine. She knew that she was stress eating. She had been working on the habit with a therapist. She had a few healthier coping techniques but today was not a time for coping techniques. Today all she could do was eat and pray. Eat and pray that her friend would survive. She prayed for Joe too. She did not know him but it was clear Rose cared for him and if he was willing to give a liver to a near stranger. He was clearly a good man. One who needed to survive. They all needed to survive.

Gibbs was filled with an unspeakable rage. His anger was so intense he was probably the only person in the group not totally focusing on Jimmy and Joe. He felt guilty for that he really did but he just could not control this rage. Senior was arrested and supposedly David was in custody, but that did not change the events that had occurred. Ziva was still dead and Jimmy was still fighting for his life. All for the greed of these bastards. He absolutely despised both of those men. There was no punishment too harsh for either. They would never fully get what the deserved.

Rose paced nervously around the waiting room. Everybody was worrying but she was in hell. Her fiancee was just out of surgery, still in recovery. Her brother was still in surgery. His future was still uncertain. The coming days would be pure hell. She had prayed to every God she could recall. She knew that was probably blasphemous or something but she was just so worried. Worried that she would lose one or both of the most important men in her life. They said she could see Joe now but he was still asleep. He would likely be out or out of it through the night. So she just stayed out in the waiting room and prayed that Jimmy would have good results as well.

"Family of James Palmer?" Dr. Joyce called.

"That's us" Rose replied.

Rose and Ducky followed Dr. Joyce down the seemingly endless hallway to the doctor's office. Here it was the moment of truth. Where they would receive good news or heartbreaking. There was not much of an in between. There was only good or bad. Upon arriving to the office Dr. Joyce instructed the pair to take a seat. Rose sat on the left side and Ducky on the right.

"I am happy to announce that James did excellent. He is in recovery and will be moved to the ICU in an hour or so. He will be in intensive care for at least the next forty eight hours. The first forty eight hours are always the most critical period. As of now we are planning for two weeks in the hospital but that could change at anytime." Dr. Joyce explained.

"Will he need any rehab?" Rose asked.

"As of now we are not expecting him to need further rehabilitation. If he were to be transferred to a facility it would less than a month inpatient and then he would be home for the remainder of his recovery period." Dr. Joyce explained.

* * *

 **A/N: Jimmy survived but will he be "OK"? New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	17. Rogue

Jimmy was recovering but the ordeal was far from over. For one thing he had a long journey ahead of him on the road to recovery. His entire life had been changed and most likely shortened. He would probably need another transplant down the road but for now they were glad Joe's kidney was working in him and he could have more time.

Of course Jimmy's recovery was just a part of the ordeal. David was still out there. Senior was locked up and he would probably spend the rest of his life in prison. David probably would too. If he was captured alive. The man was wanted dead or alive. Vance had declared he did not care and Team Gibbs was out for blood.

Tony felt completely helpless. He hated that he had to sit out the case. He had begged Vance to let him work the case but the director had refused. Tony knew he was in no condition to work a case and he had Tali to worry about but that did not make it easier. He wanted to catch the bastard. He wanted to avenge Ziva, Jimmy, Liza, and Jimmy's mom. He wanted to be useful. Not just lying around in bed lost in his own grief.

Jimmy was on the road to recovery and it was back to work for Team Gibbs. Back to the bullpen. Back to only leaving for bathroom breaks and a quick snack. Back to the cruel reality of an impossible case. This case was particularly trying. Tony was down, Jimmy was down, Ziva was dead, and David was always ten steps away. It was like a true walk through hell.

"Nobody leaves until he is caught!" Gibbs barked.

"Yes sir" McGee replied.

David knew that he was in trouble. He knew he could not run much longer. Team Gibbs was not as willing to relent as he had thought. He had killed one of their own and shot another yet they were not giving up. They would catch him eventually. They would catch him soon. Once he was caught it was all over. Best case scenario he spent the rest of his life in prison. Worst case scenario he was killed. He contemplated suicide but that was the coward's way out. He had to at least put up a fight. He had one last plan. One last cruel ploy to throw the team off of their case.

Tony could take it no longer. He left Tali with a sitter. He knew going rogue was a bad idea. That if anything went wrong, it would be devastating to him. If God forbid an innocent got caught in the cross hairs he could be facing prison time. He knew that even a minor incident could be devastating if he went rogue but he could hold back no longer. His only other choice was to sit back and go mad. For Tali's sake he had to go rogue. Better to have an incarcerated father than a mad one. He could not afford to sit back and lose his mind.

David studied the girl in the photograph. Certainly if Tali were dead. The team would be too thrown off to complete the case. Maybe another would take over but no team was as organized as Team Gibbs. At least that's what he thought. He grabbed his supplies and double checked the address in Senior's book. The older man was locked up but he was still helping David. David smirked as he imagined Tony returning to find Tali dead. He could not wait until the girl was dead. Then maybe just maybe he could let his guard down.

Tony wiped his gun clean. He never thought he would go rogue. He remembered being angry and hurt when Ziva did and when he found out that Gibbs had. Now he was the one who had been wronged. It was the one he loved who had been brutally murdered. It was his friend who was fighting for his life. The time to follow the rules was over. He was going to get his revenge. He did not care what happened.

David filled the can with gas. He parked his car about seven blocks back in an alley and walked the rest of the way to the gas station. He wanted to create the illusion he had simply run out of gas. He tossed money on the counter, thanked the clerk and returned his car. He tossed the gas beside the rags. He checked the address one last time and then was on his way.

The sitter finally arrived. Tony gave instructions and made sure that Tali was asleep. This was really happening. He was really going to go against everything he believed for one act of revenge. In an act that may not even have any impact. He was confused and angry, and scared. More than anything he was scared. He was not one to get scared but the idea of going rogue. Of going against everything he believed in was nothing short of terrifying. He wiped away a tear after kissing Tali good night. He may never see her again after tonight. For all he knew his baby girl would wake up that morning as an orphan.

David pulled into the parking complex. This was it. He was really going to kill the girl. He wished he had, had the courage to take a kid out twenty years ago when Jimmy was a kid. At the very least three or four days ago when he took James out there. He placed the rags around the apartment and was pouring the gas when the door opened.

"What the hell are you doing?!" A voice bellowed.

"Shit!" David cried trying to run.

Rage burned through Tony's body. Just a moment ago he felt terrible for going rogue. Now any guilt was gone. Because that bastard was at his home with rags and gasoline. He was no longer going rogue. He was defending his home. David started to run. Tony shot and hit the man in the leg. David fell and Tony dove on top of him placing the gun to the older man's temple.

"Give me one good reason." Tony snarled.

* * *

 **A/N: Could it finally be over? New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	18. Ten Forty Five and Thirty Seven Seconds

Tony looked deep into the bastard's eyes. He saw only evil and hatred. It was clear that David was a totally heartless man. That he had no redemption. If Tony did not blow his brains out here and now. He would torch the house and laugh as Tali burned alive. Tony had never been the guns blazing, the criminal was better off in a body bag type of cop. Today was different. Today he had the man who had shattered his and Tali's lives, Jimmy's and Rose's. If he let David go who knows how many more lives he would shatter. If he killed David. Well the only people he knew who could stand that man were in their own morgue drawers. Dead and gone. David needed to be with them. Tony, Tali, Rose, Jimmy, and Baby James needed to be free. With that Tony pulled the trigger, at ten forty five and thirty seven seconds.

David knew that his life was over. He knew he could not escape Tony. Even if he got away this time Tony would still end him. Not that he could move. Tony had him pinned. If he moved Tony would shoot. He saw Tony squeeze the trigger. He grabbed the match and threw it at the house. Tony had already pulled the trigger. At ten forty five and thirty seven seconds and less than ten seconds later he was a dead man. He would be his own final victim.

Rose's heart had been heavy for a long time. In a way she could never explain. When she talked about how heavy her heart was, most did not understand. The most common responses were "How can it hurt so bad? You were a baby? Weren't you?" "How can you remember?" "You don't even remember?" "You are just projecting." and about fifty other variations. Yes she was a baby when the fire happened and no she did not remember but that did not make the pain any less severe. The pain was great. Because she had lost her family. Raised by an abuser. The girl with a dead mom. Sure a lot of kids had dead parents. One year she had four classmates with a dead parent. Five when Johnny's dad had that stroke, but people were not allowed to talk about her mom. She did not talk about her mom. For years believing that her brother was dead. Missing a man she never knew, who was not even dead. The lies of a monster. Her heart was heavy for so long and Jimmy fighting for his life only made it worse. He should have been awake by now but he was not. At ten forty five and thirty seven seconds she felt a massive weight lifted from her chest.

Ziva sat in a the holding cell known as purgatory. Shockingly none of her sins were keeping her spirit from moving on. It was the man who had killed her who was keeping her trapped. She was angry with him. Too angry to let go, too afraid to leave Tali. Senior had been caught but David was smarter and faster than Senior. Ziva feared he would never be caught. She feared she would be stuck until he died an old man. She hated that he had the chance to grow old when she died young. So had Liza and Jimmy's mom. Jimmy's fate was still uncertain. Ziva paced around her cell. According to the Earthly realm the time was ten forty five and thirty seven seconds. When a bright light shone. Ziva stood at the pearly gates. At long last she was free.

Tali slept peacefully in her bed. She had no idea that outside her front door. Her Aba was holding very bad man at gun point. She had no clue that she was feet from the man who had killed her Ima. She had no idea that gas soaked rags were lining her new home's outer walls and a match was just inches from the man who had killed her Ima's hands. She had no idea that David used his final seconds to grab the match. She had no idea any of the events that were unfolding and she remained in her innocent sleep. Until ten forty five and thirty seven seconds. When she heard a loud bang. Moments later she heard sirens and saw red lights. A fireman rushed into her room and raced her out of the house. Just as her new home burst into flames. She was in Aba's arms. She fell back asleep and it would be years before she realized this was not just a horrible nightmare.

Jimmy Palmer had the doctor's worried. He just was not responding. He had been running a low grade fever for the past hour. The doctors were currently discussing his case. They were preparing to tell the family he was not responding and that they would need to prepare themselves. In truth none of the physicians saw the young Medical Examiner coming through. Between the emotional trauma and the stress to his body. They did not see much hope. A nurse had drawn blood to rule out infection and further testing would take place in the morning. Unless he continued to deteriorate. At ten forty five and thirty seven seconds Jimmy's fever broke and most amazingly of all he opened his eyes. He had finally turned the corner.

Everything happened so fast. The body laid on the ground. The house was burning and a firemen had risked everything to save Tali. The door flung open and a sleeping Tali was dumped into his arms. Just as the house erupted. The body was gone and Tony was holding Tali, sobbing in the back of an ambulance. The babysitter had come out when she heard Tony screaming. She was talking to the police a few feet away. Before long both Tony and Tali were cleared and the nightmare was finally over. David was dead and could hurt no more people. The weight on Rose's chest had been lifted, Ziva's soul was freed, and Jimmy had regained his reason to fight. At long last it was over. Over and yet just beginning at the same time.

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 **A/N: I'm back. Sorry for the hiatus. Nothing was wrong, I was just super busy with work. Turns out being a cashier during the holidays kind of sucks. Oh well it's over and I am going to get back on track. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	19. After

The coming hours were a convoluted blur. The previous days had been a blur as well. Everything had lumped into one. The crime scene, Jimmy's revelation about his father. Ziva's death and Jimmy being shot. The way things had ended. It was more like a bad movie than real life.

Tony held Tali close to his chest. He was so grateful that she had gotten out safe. He was terrified of what could have been. If he had not gone out when he did, if David had been able to light the fire before anybody knew. Things could have been horrible. They could have been killed. Tali could have lost another parent or he could have lost his daughter. They had lost just about everything but things could be replaced. He couldn't and Tali certainly could not be.

The initial relief disappeared and faded into worry. Tali had now been through two horrific fires. He was terrified for her and the fears she would face. He prayed that she would think it was just a nightmare but he could not be so sure. All he could do was hold her close and thank God that she was OK. That they were OK.

Jimmy blinked his eyes open. He surveyed his surroundings. He was in the hospital. His abdomen was killing him. He a nasal cannula in his nose. He tried to remember what had happened to get him here. His heart sped up. He had been with Rose, Joe, and James. Had something happened to them? Had he done something to cause this?

"Good morning Mr. Palmer. I am glad to see that you are awake." A nurse commented.

"What happened?" Jimmy asked weakly.

"You were shot." Joan replied.

"Rose? Joe?" Jimmy asked.

"They are fine. They will be glad to see you are awake." Joan replied.

Joan was not offering any real answers, she had only given more questions. Jimmy was hoping that Rose and Joe would be able to come and answer his questions. Unfortunately they had just left before he woke. He had been a drug induced coma for a week now. Sleeping and trying to regain his strength. He had apparently received a liver transplant and their had been more than twenty four hours where his fate was unknown. He should be dead but Joe had saved his life. His soon to be brother in law. He owed him everything.

Joe and Rose felt terrible for not being there when Jimmy woke up. They had been waiting for a week. Joe had been in the hospital for two days. Even though he was exhausted and weak. He spent at least an hour a day in the hospital. He wanted to be there for Rose and for Jimmy. He wanted to be there, but he ended up being the reason they were not present when Jimmy woke up. He had gotten tired and he could not wait for a ride. Rose had to drive him home. Rose had just helped him to bed when they got the call.

"I am sorry." Joe apologized.

"Don't be. I shouldn't have made you stay home." Rose replied.

"I wanted to come. I just wanted to be there." Joe reminded.

"I know you did but I should have let you rest." Rose replied.

"Rose I am fine." Joe assured.

"I know but the past few days have been crazy." Rose sighed.

"I know but things are finally coming around." Joe promised.

Rose rushed back to the hospital. She could not believe Jimmy was finally awake. It had been a long and terrifying week but things were finally turning around. Jimmy was on the road to recovery and now he was finally awake. The past week had been rough but things were finally turning around. Rose smiled to herself as she turned into the hospital's parking lot. She could not wait to see her brother's open eyes again.

As a matter of course Tony had to be questioned by the police. It was clear he was acting in self defense but the police needed a clear picture of what exactly had happened. The time came to give the big statement. Tony left Tali with Gibbs and drove down to the station. He had given a statement the night of David's death but he was incoherent and the officers needed a better statement. It took seven days but Tony finally had the strength to give the statement. David was dead it didn't really matter. This was just a matter of course.

"Good afternoon Mr. DiNozzo." Officer Franklin greeted.

"Good afternoon Officer Franklin." Tony replied.

"Are you ready?" Officer Franklin asked.

"Yes" Tony replied.

"Very good please follow me." Officer Franklin replied.

Jimmy tried to sit up but it was hard with his stitches. Joan returned to check his vitals again. He had had a slight fever at the last check. Thankfully he was back to normal now and they had only drawn blood as precaution. Once everything was evaluated Joan helped him adjust the bed and then brought Rose into the room.

"Rosie" Jimmy greeted weakly.

"Oh Jimmy I am glad you are awake." Rose replied.

"Me too" Jimmy laughed.

"Joe sends best wishes. He wanted to be here but he is recovering from surgery too." Rose explained.

"I understand" Jimmy replied.

"I will try to get him here tomorrow." Rose replied.

"You don't have to. I mean I want to thank him but I mean how do I thank him? He saved my life and I can't get out of bed." Jimmy rambled.

"You don't have to do anything. Just say thank you. He did not do this to get anything out of you. He just wanted to save your life. He wanted us to be able to get to know each other." Rose explained.

"I am glad I get to get to know you." Jimmy whispered.

"I am too." Rose replied.

"Once we are out of here. I am going to do something extra special for you." Jimmy promised.

"You have done enough." Rose assured.

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 **A/N: Next chapter will be the last. Finally chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	20. Pride

For the first time in his life Jimmy was able to visit his mother's grave. It was Rose's first time visiting too. Joe had found the site using an online database but Rose opted to wait until Jimmy was well enough to join her. The recently reunited siblings had made the somber journey alone. Joe did not feel right joining them. Not for their first time visiting their mother's grave. That was a journey just for the two Palmer siblings. Jimmy got on his knees and traced his fingers over the soft black letters. Rose stood back overcome by emotion. She glanced over at the grave adjacent to her mother's. In a cruel twist of irony it was a child's grave. A second cousin who died in infancy. She ached for her family but was relieved that it was not Jimmy. Jimmy glanced over and was clearly having the same thoughts. He rose and pulled his sister into a hug.

"You are so lucky you were able to know her." Rose whispered.

"She'd have been proud of you." Jimmy assured.

"She'd be proud of you." Rose replied.

Seven months later Jimmy was pacing outside of a hospital room. Rose had gone into labor in the early hours of the morning. Just two weeks early was enough to throw everybody through a loop. Rose went into labor on what was supposed to be her last day of classes. Thankfully her professors were understanding. Joe was supposed to work two more weeks and Jimmy had to call into work. Little James was staying with Joe's parents who would arrive when things "Started happening." At last check Rose was only six centimeters and the doctors said it could be a while.

A while it was. Rose was seven centimeters at dinner time. Seven and a half when Jimmy left at six thirty. He hated to leave but he had promised to watch Tali that night. Thankfully for him Tony had compassion and made arrangements for in case Jimmy had to rush back to the hospital. Rose was eight centimeters when Tony returned from his date at ten o'clock. She was still eight the next morning and the doctors were beginning to discuss a C-Section. Jimmy had just paid for his breakfast when he got the call. The baby was on the way. Jimmy wolfed down a muffin to maintain his blood sugar and handed the rest of the food off to a woman waiting in line. He raced upstairs and made it into the room just as his niece was making her first cries.

"Jimmy this is Maura Liz Davis, your niece." Rose introduced.

"She's perfect." Jimmy replied.

Senior's trial was hard on Tony. It took three months and two judges and one and a half juries for them to finally get a proper verdict. Tony held his breath as he stood in that court room. His father smirked. A security guard stated that she had over heard the man declare that he would walk. Tony prayed that was not true. That all the fancy lawyers in the world were not enough to get that monster off for what he had done. Maybe he had not started the fires but he had led David to Ziva. He had made it easy for that bastard to shoot Jimmy. He had covered his ass for years. The foremen handed an envelope to the judge. Here it was the moment of truth.

"On two accounts to accessory to murder and four accounts of concealing a crime, seven counts of concealing evidence we find the defendant Antony DiNozzo Senior guilty. Sentence is twenty five years in maximum security prison. No chance for parole." Judge Harris declared.

Senior ended up serving eight of his twenty five year sentence before dying from a heart attack. Tony claimed the body from the morgue but that was it. Senior was buried in a pauper's cemetery with only the prison's chaplain in attendance. Tony wasn't even sure where the grave was and he did not care. He had washed his hands of that man the day he killed Ziva.

Tali was an adult before Tony could step foot in Israel again. For years Tali had begged to go and for years he told her she could not. When she was fifteen she went on a mission trip with the All Religions Alliance at her school. Tony was glad she got the opportunity but knew she still did not get the visit she wanted. She asked to go for her high school graduation gift but Tony was busy with his second wife who was due to go into labor any day. College graduation rolled around and everything lined up. Tony was able to visit his wife's homeland, the country where his daughter was born. The visited the grounds of the farm house and Ziva's family's olive grove. Tony wept as Tali said a traditional prayer at her mother's final resting place.

"She would be proud of you." Tony whispered as they walked away from the cemetery,

Jimmy visited his mother's grave for the last time just before what should have been his seventy first birthday. His health had been failing for some time and his daughter Rose had made the difficult decision to put him in assisted living. On his last day before moving into the facility he visited the grave for the last time with his sister Rose and his daughter Rose. His wife Karen had died from breast cancer the year before. Jimmy wiped away a tear and whispered "See you soon." As the rain began to fall and his family guided him towards the car. Two nights later James Palmer died in his sleep in the care facility. Four days later he was laid to rest beside his mother on what should have been his seventy first birthday.

"Goodbye Jimmy I am glad we got all those extra years together. Even if it is not as many as I would have liked. It is still more than I ever dreamed we would have. At least on this side." Rose said as she stood beside her brother's grave for the first time.

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 **A/N: Well that's it. What do you think? Thanks to all who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed. Please leave one last review.**


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